I just heard that two more universities, Rutgers and James Madison, are ditching men's swimming while spending zillions on football and golf. My own alma mater almost cut women's swimming several years ago. They were saved by alumni fundraising, but not until the swim team put itself up for sale on ebay. Endurance sports get no respect. It makes no sense. I thought open water swimming and triathlons and road racing were on the rise even among young kids. If so, why cut all those sports in college? I guess it's still just a miniscule percentage that participate compared to other sports, like my least favorite youth sport -- travel soccer.
I am, whoops WAS, a travel soccer parent. But I refuse to drive a mini-van.
There are some parents that grumble about the time commitment. I wasn't particularly fond of it myself. But, in my experience, I have found parents love travel soccer, they clamor around to get their kids on the best teams even if they have to drive forever. They know every team's record, how many goals have been scored against them the last calendar year and the team's national ranking. (I ask you, how can you meaningfully rank a soccer team with 10-11 year old girls?!).
But to be good at soccer, you do have to practice a lot. The girls on my daughter's FORMER team are up to 4-5 practices a week and mandatory away camps in the summer. They now have mandatory Sat. morning video sessions where they review tapes and talk strategy. Daily juggling is not negotiable. I could go on. Suffice it to say, this year we reached the breaking point and my daughter picked swimming. My younger daughter will never play travel soccer as a result of the torture inflicted on me from that sport. I'm sure I'll be in trouble with other soccer moms too.
I am, whoops WAS, a travel soccer parent. But I refuse to drive a mini-van.
There are some parents that grumble about the time commitment. I wasn't particularly fond of it myself. But, in my experience, I have found parents love travel soccer, they clamor around to get their kids on the best teams even if they have to drive forever. They know every team's record, how many goals have been scored against them the last calendar year and the team's national ranking. (I ask you, how can you meaningfully rank a soccer team with 10-11 year old girls?!).
But to be good at soccer, you do have to practice a lot. The girls on my daughter's FORMER team are up to 4-5 practices a week and mandatory away camps in the summer. They now have mandatory Sat. morning video sessions where they review tapes and talk strategy. Daily juggling is not negotiable. I could go on. Suffice it to say, this year we reached the breaking point and my daughter picked swimming. My younger daughter will never play travel soccer as a result of the torture inflicted on me from that sport. I'm sure I'll be in trouble with other soccer moms too.
